~FOUR YEARS AGO, AT THE REMAINS OF GARLEN'S CASTLE~
"Everyone, smile! 3, 2, 1!"
-SNAP!-
Everyone was gathered together and posing for the camera, with Klonoa leaping upwards in victory, trophy in hand.
After defeating Garlen's giant mech, foiling his plans and saving everyone he captured, he had a lot to celebrate over, as did everyone else. They were all dragged into this "Tournament" against their will, tempted with riches and used as literal cogs in a machine. All to fuel the madness and mechanisms of a power-hungry conqueror, and his soon-to-be technological empire.
Despite not getting a penny of the promised prize money, the satisfaction of knowing another world was safe, as well as his shiny gold trophy, was enough for the Dream Traveller.
The former contestants watched a cuffed Garlen be pushed into a police car, practically kicking and screaming that he'll get his revenge, before the vehicle eventually drove out of sight. They couldn't help but breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Except, there was still one loose end. One thing that they only realised after everything was over-
"...now what?"
They were all teleported here thanks to Garlen, but with him now gone, how would they all get back? Klonoa assumed that he'd be warped back to his world, like he usually does after he saves the day. But not only was he still here, most likely due to the fact that this wasn't a typical dream adventure, that still left everyone else.
As the group pondered the current situation between them, they were approached by a large, turquoise reptilian man, wearing a red tie, a suit of silver armour and a police cap. Klonoa knew him as Suiryu, a police officer who infiltrated Garlen's operation as a contestant.
"Alright, everyone. Gather round." he called. "I've got good news, and I've got bad news."
The contestants looked at each other and mumbled amongst themselves.
"The good news is that we've managed to locate the technology Garlen used to bring you all here, and my men are figuring out a way to get it up and running again, so that it can take you all home. The bad news is that we have no idea how long this might take. Could be a few hours, could be a few days. At the moment, it's hard to say. His machinery is like nothing we've ever seen before."
"Pssh, I ain't waiting around here." scoffed a black and yellow wolven contestant. "If anyone needs me, I'm gonna be spending my well-earnt cash prize."
"But ya didn't win jack squat! Klonoa did!"
Before Popka could debunk his sentence further, he'd already departed the scene, carrying a large gun in one hand and a sack of money in the other, earning him a scowl from the canine. Klonoa and Lolo couldn't help but look at each other in annoyance.
"What a jerk!" the Priestess huffed.
"Don't worry about it, Lolo. Gantz helped me stop Garlen, after all. And he let me have this cool trophy. I don't really care about the money."
"MY NAME IS GUNTZ, DAMMIT! GET IT RIGHT!"
From the distance, the two could faintly hear the wolf shout back to them, sounding a little irritated.
"Guess he must've heard us with those large ears of his."
Klonoa made sure to say that in his head.
"Anyways, looks like we've got some time before we can go home." Lolo said, before turning to Klonoa, "What should we do?"
"There's a large mall about a 10 minute walk north from here." Suiryu explained. "It's got shops, restaurants, arcades and a gym. We've already arranged rooms for you all at a hotel there as well."
"Ooo, sounds like fun." said Popka. "I'm gonna check out the arcades. See if I can get a high score and leave a lasting impact on this place."
"I'd like to look around too." Lolo added. "What about you, Klonoa?"
"Yeah, I'd like that too! Count me in."
Klonoa tapped another contestant on the shoulder to get his attention. He was a brown, long-eared kangaroo, wearing protective headgear and a pair of large, red boxing gloves.
"What are you planning to do, Chipple?"
"I overheard the officer say there was a gym at the mall." Chipple answered. "I'm gonna do some training there, after I print out these photos."
"Sounds like a good plan. I'm surprised you aren't worn out from all the courses you had to go through in the Tournament."
"I'm never worn out, Klonoa. I live to train!"
"Fair enough, hah hah." The cabbit let out a friendly chuckle. "Hope you have fun, then."
"I'll see ya around, 'Dream Champion'!"
The trio waved farewell as the boxer ran off in the direction of the shopping centre. Once the other contestants started going their separate ways, Klonoa, Lolo and Popka all decided to head in the same direction as well.
"Ok, where to start?"
Not long after the three made it to the mall, Popka already spotted the arcade and split off to play some games, leaving Klonoa and Lolo to spend the day together. As the two wandered the indoor precinct, the cabbit couldn't help but have his eyes drawn to his friend, who was busy looking at the fancy clothes in the shop windows. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but something felt different. Was it her? Was it him? He wasn't sure. The unfamiliar feeling in his stomach wasn't helping much either.
"Hey, Lolo, you wanna grab something to eat?" the boy asked, surmising that he was probably just hungry.
"Sure. I am feeling quite peckish right now. I could go for a nice sandwich, to be honest."
"I'm sure they'll have a sandwich shop around here somewhere. I might have one too, actually. Fighting supervillains definitely works up an appetite."
The two shared a chuckle as they headed for the food court.
The layout of the multi-floored mall was a little overwhelming at first, resulting in them getting a bit lost at times, even with the map they picked up. On the way, they took turns looking in various stores and shops - Lolo taking a liking to some pretty looking dresses and fancy tea sets, whilst Klonoa got his eye caught on merchandise and videogames he had never seen before. It was all too expensive for either of them, but they still liked to window-shop regardless. Eventually, they reached the food hall, and-
"Woah! This place is HUGE!"
It was a large, two-floored circular area with a dome shaped ceiling, populated by dozens of tables and chairs. Multiple restaurants were located around the outskirts of the court on both floors. The hall looked like it could fit a village's worth of people in it. From where they stood, the duo could see what looked to be a sandwich shop on the other side of the court. Although Klonoa was tempted to try some food from another joint, something compelled him to accompany Lolo to the sandwich shop; what that 'something' was eluded him at the moment.
The fresh, mouth-watering aroma of meat, salad, sauces and toasted bread crept up their noses as they approached.
"Hi there! Welcome to Long-Den's. What would you like?"
Klonoa and Lolo scoured the options. The Priestess went first, being before the boy in the queue
"Um, may I have a 6-inch toasted ham and cheese sandwich, with salad, please?"
"Of course, ma'am." the woman behind the counter answered, before turning to Klonoa. "And what would you like, sir?"
"I'll have a 12-inch toasted sandwich with meatballs and cheese, please."
"Coming right up!"
The two watched through the transparent barrier as the sandwich artists prepared their meals. It was like watching a painter make their finest work - the bread was their canvas and the fillings were the paints. There was clear care put into how the food was swiftly, but carefully put together.
As Klonoa inched closer to the cashier, he made sure to get some money out of his pocket - silently praying that this place accepted otherworldly currencies. Considering Lolo had managed to pay without any hassle, he assumed he'd be alright. The only thing he needed to worry about-
"That'll be 15 coins, sir."
-was whether or not he had enough. He pulled out the coins from his pocket and carefully counted them.
"...crap."
He did not.
"Is everything ok, Klonoa?"
Lolo could immediately sense something was up, and had gone over to the nervous cabbit.
"Well…I…I thought I-I had enough, but…I don't know…"
The Priestess was a little surprised to see Klonoa, the brave adventurer who saved her world last year, in a vulnerable state like this. Looking at the coins in his hand, she understood the issue.
"Don't worry, I have some money here to make up for it."
Lolo pulled out a small, pink purse from her pocket, took a few coins out and placed them in Klonoa's glove.
"I…" The boy didn't know how to respond; he just stared at his open palm, only snapping out of it when he heard someone impatiently grumbling in the growing queue. He sheepishly handed the money to the cashier and took his sandwich, without another word, wishing that he had snatched some of the prize money before Guntz took off with it.
"Sorry… I left most of my money at home. If I knew I'd be in this predicament, I'd have brought my wallet, heh."
He felt pretty bad that Lolo had to take money out of her own savings just to pay for his meal.
"Don't worry about it. You did save my life earlier. It was the least I could do."
Klonoa looked at his friend, who gave him a warm smile. He could feel his cheeks flaring up a bit, and for some reason, he also felt his guilt slowly wash away. Something about the look she gave him felt… reassuring to him. He still felt a little embarrassed, regardless.
"To be honest," the girl continued speaking, "I didn't even realise I had brought my purse here with me. If I knew we would be in this predicament, I would've taken more money. Those dresses looked so prettyAAAAH-"
Lolo seemed to trip over her own feet and was well on her way to making contact with the marble ground. Luckily, Klonoa was able to quickly put his hand over her chest, stopping the fall. Although the Priestess was safe, her food, on the other hand, was not.
Klonoa got Lolo back on her feet, as both looked over the bits and pieces of what used to be a sandwich. Seeing the humiliated expression on the poor La-Lakooshan's face, then at his own sandwich, he tore it down the middle and held one up to her face.
"Halfsies?" he asked, beckoning her to take it from him.
Lolo looked hesitant.
"A…are you sure?"
"Of course!" Klonoa answered, smiling. "Besides, you did help pay for it."
Lolo took the sandwich from him. Much like how her smile made Klonoa feel better, the same applied when the roles were reversed. She felt a lot better.
"Thank you, Klonoa."
Now that food was sorted, the next thing on the agenda was to find a pair of seats. It must've been lunch hour, as no matter where they looked, most, if not all, seats seemed to be taken. However, both of them noticed a large statue in the centre of the plaza, depicting a long-haired individual in a heroic pose, carrying what looked like a large swag bag over their shoulder. There seemed to be somewhere to perch near the foot of the structure.
The two sat down and quickly started eating their sandwiches.
"-we really thought he was dead, but he had just passed out from exhaustion. So Huepow and I had to carry and place him on his throne, before getting outta there. If the guards came in whilst we were there, they might have thought we killed him, then Goddess knows what would've happened to us."
"That might've caused a pickle, to say the least. So what happened next?"
As Klonoa continued to tell tales of his otherworldly escapades, Lolo found herself enthralled by his stories. This is the first time she's hearing about his other adventures - it was crazy to think about how large the universe they inhabit really was. And yet, it was still apparently small enough for Klonoa to end up encountering both past friends and foes at this tournament. The Goddess Claire works in mysterious ways.
"So…" Klonoa turned to Lolo, having finished both his story and his sandwich. "How have you been? I'm guessing you've become a Priestess again?"
His eyes were drawn to the large green feather attached to the La-Lakooshan's hat.
"Well…"
Lolo took the feather off, before looking at it, her smile waning a little.
"...this isn't really an 'official' Priestess feather. I haven't completed my training yet. This is a lucky leaf Popka gave me as a gift to help me keep motivated to obtain the real thing."
"Well, do you think it's working?" Klonoa asked.
"I like to think it is." Lolo replied, perking up a bit. "I feel like I've been making good progress, and my Priestess magic feels like it's improving."
As she placed the leaf back in her cap, Klonoa could see the determination in her expression - a far cry from how unsure she used to be about herself back when they first met.
"I know you'll get it soon, Lolo. I believe in you!"
Klonoa gave her a big thumbs up. Lolo couldn't help but blush from both his compliment and confidence in her. Even after a whole year apart, she couldn't help the butterflies when it came to him and his natural charm. At least she was better at keeping it hidden this time around.
"Thank you, Klonoa." she reciprocated his flattery with a warm smile. "It's nice to think about how people like you and Popka have my back. To be honest-"
Lolo scooched a little bit closer towards him.
"-I'm really happy you're here. I've missed you."
Something about how Lolo said this caused Klonoa to suddenly start burning up. Was it the look in her eyes? Or how close she was to him? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that he could feel his cheeks getting warmer, his heart beating louder and the sensation in his stomach persisting even after having something to eat. What was happening to him?
This change in behaviour didn't go unnoticed. Lolo could almost instantly tell something was up with her friend. Her cheeks also started lighting up as soon as she realised how close she actually was to him, as well as the realisation of how impulsive her action was. She quickly pulled back and gave him a bit of space.
"A-are you okay, Klonoa?" Her tone sounded worried. "Was it something I did?"
It was no secret to all her friends and family that she had feelings for Klonoa ever since he arrived in Lunatea. There was something about him that drew her in. His handsome face, his adventurous spirit, and his willingness to help others. She was able to keep her emotions in check, so as to not make it super-obvious and awkward. Despite this, there was a small, almost selfish part of her that wondered 'what if I wanted him to know?'
She wanted to confess to him so badly. But, despite what her heart was telling her, if there was a chance this would jeopardise the friendship she cherished so much, then she wouldn't ruin what they had.
Klonoa took a deep breath and composed himself, now that he had a bit of space.
"Yeah, I-I'm alright, Lo."
"I'm so sorry, Klonoa." Lolo apologised. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."
"No no! It's ok! I just…well…"
Klonoa wasn't sure how to explain what he was feeling to Lolo. How could he help someone else understand if he himself didn't even understand?
"...I-It doesn't matter." the boy continued. "But it's not your fault. I promise."
Despite him making sure Lolo knew she wasn't to blame, at least, not intentionally, he could see that she still looked a little guilty. He took a second to think of something to help clear the awkwardness.
The cabbit scooched a little closer to his friend and put his hand on her shoulder, causing the Priestess to perk up a little in surprise.
"I'm really happy to see you again too."
Lolo looked up at Klonoa - his friendly smile filling her with a sense of relief, as well as bringing the red back to her cheeks. Klonoa's cheeks were also blushing, yet the feeling didn't feel overwhelming for either of them. They felt a serene sense of peace and comfort in each others' presence. It was as if the world stood still, as the two lost themselves in each other's eyes.
That was, until-
"We ain't interruptin' somethin', are we?"
The two quickly snapped back to reality, turning in unison to see Popka, looking at the duo with a smug expression - as if he was half-expecting to see them in this predicament. He was accompanied by Suiryu and Chipple.
"Apologies for intruding on you two." said the water dragon. "But I've got some good news."
"What's up?" Klonoa asked, not realising his hand was still resting on the shoulder of an increasingly flustering Lolo.
"Our technicians have managed to get the teleporter up and working again. Sooner than expected too. We got a bit of outside help with getting it up and running. Now we're just rounding everyone up. Since I've found you four already, I might as well send you all home first. You two got anything you want to do? If not, we can head down now."
"I'm ready to go home." replied Klonoa, standing up. "What about you, Lolo?"
"Not that I can think of. I'm ready, too."
With that, the two joined the others, as Suiryu escorted them out of the shopping mall. Along the way, they encountered some of the other contestants, who joined the crew on their way to the teleporter, ready to return home after a long day.
"I'll see you around, Klonoa!"
"You too, Chipple. Take care!"
The two friends shared a fist bump and a hug, as the boxer walked towards the teleporter base. At a nearby terminal, a member of authority typed some instructions onto a tablet.
"Don't forget to keep that photo safe, Klonoa!" the kangaroo called out.
The cabbit looked at the photograph in his hand, smiling. It was the one Chipple took earlier of all the contestants standing around Klonoa with his trophy. Lolo and Popka also had a copy, alongside some of the other present tourney competitors.
"TELEPORTING TO -GHAZZALAND, SOMNIUS-"
A robotic voice came out of a nearby speaker, as the machine Chipple was standing on started to buzz, whir and glow. With a final wave goodbye, the Ghazzaean was submerged in a bright light. When the light diminished, he was gone. Back to his home world.
Despite the chances being slim, Klonoa hoped to see Chipple again, sometime in the distant future.
"Man, I'm ready to get home." he said to Lolo and Popka, yawning and stretching. "I'm beat."
"I can imagine. You must be exhausted after today." Lolo replied. "You should get some rest once you're back home."
"You're tellin' me." Popka butted in. "As soon as we're home, I'm gonna sleep for a whole year."
"Do you have any plans once you get back home, Lolo?" asked the boy.
"Well. I'm going to bed, first and foremost." the Priestess joked, earning a genuine chuckle from Klonoa. "After that, I'm gonna go right back to training. If today's taught me anything, it's that my skills have grown enough for me to reach third place in a tournament. Soon, I'll be able to ring the bell and become a true Priestess. Properly, this time."
"You got this, Lolo! I'm rooting for you."
Before she could respond, Suiryu called out her and Popka's names.
"Lolo and Popka! You're up!"
"Welp. It's been fun, Klo. But I got a date with my bed and I don't wanna keep her waitin'." The canine gave Klonoa a firm, but friendly pat on the back, before heading towards the teleporter with a pep in his step, eager to return home. "Catch ya later, 'Dream Champ'!"
"See ya, Popka!"
Klonoa then turned to Lolo, who turned towards him in return, before embracing him in a warm hug, much like the last time the two went their separate ways. As the Dream Traveller reciprocated the embrace, the Priestess couldn't help but notice that his grip was tighter than she expected.
"It's nice to see you again, Lolo. I hope to see you again soon."
"You too, Klonoa. Thank you for the sandwich."
The two shared a giggle as they slowly let go of each other. Lolo then joined Popka atop the teleporter base, ready to be warped home.
"TELEPORTING TO -LA-LAKOOSHA, LUNATEA-"
Though, Lolo couldn't help but feel like there was something else she needed to do before she left. She knew it was a bit last-minute to do so, but her heart couldn't stop beating, as if it was sending her a message. Looking at his face from a distance, it grew louder and harder to ignore.
"...Goddess Claire, please forgive me for this."
"W-Wait!" Lolo blurted out, motioning for the woman punching in the commands on the screen to stop what she was doing for a moment.
But it was too late. Before she could protest any longer, the light severed the visual connection between her and the world around them. In a few moments, she and Popka were gone.
"...I sure hope that wasn't anything important." said Suiryu. "But it's too late for that now."
Klonoa was taken aback by how desperate her tone sounded. Like there was something she had to do like her life depended on it. Though, why did she leave it until now? He also couldn't help but notice her expression as she looked at him from the base. She looked like there was something bugging her. Was there something she wanted to tell him?
The cabbit pondered over what she could've possibly wanted to stop everything for, as the other contestants were called up to be sent back to where they came from, one by one. Eventually, he was the only one left.
"Alright, kid. Let's get you home."
As Klonoa walked past him, Suiryu couldn't help but notice the expression of confusion and concern on his face.
"Something bothering you?" he asked.
Klonoa didn't answer. Not because he was ignoring him, but because he wasn't entirely sure how to articulate his worries. The police captain could tell as well from the unsure look on his face.
"It's that girl, isn't it? Lolo, right?"
The boy nodded.
"Y'know, seeing you two together reminds me of something from my early days as an officer. I had a crush on a girl much like her. She was the popular one in the Academy for her looks, but she was surprisingly shy and reserved for someone of her status. What was more surprising was that out of everyone who fawned over her, she took a chance on me. One thing led to another, and now she's my wife."
Klonoa looked over at the captain, a puzzled expression on his face.
"...Eh, you'll figure it out sooner or later. Take care, Dream Traveller! Thanks for the help."
"W-Wait…what do you mean by 'crush'?"
"TELEPORTING TO -DREAMWALKER VALLEY, WATANA-"
Before Klonoa could wonder what Suiryu was talking about, a bright light overtook his vision. By the time his eyes adjusted, he was outside. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the breeze was cool. Turning around, he saw his house before him. He was home at last.
~LATER THAT NIGHT~
The valley was quiet, the moon was out and the twinkling stars littered the sky. He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, wide awake. He couldn't help but keep thinking about what happened earlier. The weird sensations he felt throughout the day, how they connected to Lolo, and why she did what she did. It was like a puzzle missing a single piece. As his mind wandered deeper and deeper in thought, a memory came back to him. One that, upon re-discovery, looped over and over in his head.
As Garlen's mech fell to pieces, his castle went down with it. He was able to grab Lolo and run to safety from the crumbling structure, with her in his arms. There was something about that moment that stuck with him. The more he thought about her in that moment, how close her face and body was to his, the look of relief and comfort she gave him, the unfamiliar flurry of emotions returned, reducing the usually stoic and bold Dream Traveller to a sheepish, flustered mess every time the memory looped in his mind. It wasn't a negative sensation, it was just new, and he didn't understand how to process what it all meant.
One thing was for certain, though - Lolo was the one causing all of this. Every time she got close to him, or he would look/think about her, how nice her smile was, how pretty her eyes were, he'd start blushing.
Thinking about it more, this whole situation reminded him of a movie he watched a while ago. It was a story about a guy who meets this girl at a library. As they started hanging out more, the man started to wonder about his own feelings and how they connected with the woman he formed a connection with, eventually coming to the conclusion that he had developed…
"...a crush."
He had found the missing piece. They all fitted into place. It all made sense.
How could he have been so clueless before!? The feelings he felt around her. The way he found himself admiring everything about her. The story Suiryu told him in an attempt to relate to him. It was a crush. He had a crush on her. He had feelings for her.
He…
He…
"...uh-oh"